happy

I honestly and truthfully cannot believe how fast this last quarter of 2017 went by. I did not even feel November pass by and now here we are, already celebrating (or not) the Holidays.

Now, for a university student, the Holidays do not have the same appeal they once had, since, at least for me, finals start on the 10th of January, therefore I have to study, study, study and study. Yes, I will try to take time off at least on the 25th and 31st, but besides that, I need to start grinding now, since the finish line is so close and expectations are so high.

For whomever celebrates any sort of holiday and for those who do not, I hope you enjoy your time off with your dearest ones and that you cherish every accomplishment and second of these days. A special “good luck” goes to those who work in retail and any other type of business that stays open during the holidays. May you find the time to drink a nice glass of wine and toast for good fortune.

This last 18th of September I started University and let me tell you, I could not be happier. I love new beginnings and this is the best one yet. Leaving behind all that was dragging me down was something I desperately needed.

I decided to pursue a degree in Business and more specifically Economics at the Sapienza University of Rome. Classes have been going on for the last month and I feel amazingly accomplished regarding the notions learned and the people I have made friends with. Getting to Uni in the morning is not the easiest voyage, but it could be worse: I take the train and walk quite a lot, but I do not mind.

The books are indeed intimidating but once you get into the mood of studying and learning it all flows better. My professors this semester, all women, are great and teach in a very pleasant way. I also got lucky regarding the time the classes are taught: from 9am to 1pm. Very, very lucky indeed.

I love learning how a business is started and what is needed, how the state regulates the privates, and also how law works. Math is the one subject where I feel more advantaged, because the professor is teaching things I already know.

My exams are in January and I have started studying here and there, but I still have to get serious about it. All in all, I am extremely happy and excited with how my life is going.

The past couple of weeks have been tough and putting it all on here requires a tremendous amount of effort on my part. I am not going to bother you with the details of my heartbreak or the how, why and by who, but I am here to narrate how I decided to react.

Getting over a heartbreak is never easy, but throughout the years I have learnt how to move on faster; it is not something I do consciously, my mind just seems to remove immediate memories in order to let me heal as fast as possible. That does not mean that the memories will not resurface from time to time, but at least the immediate response helped me breathe more easily.

When you go back to being alone the focus and attention you were giving the other person has to go somewhere else; I decided to push it towards myself. I noticed that I had somehow lost my glamorous and unique self which I always had going on and only found it when I went out on dates. I lost my smile and sense of humour due to all of the pain and suffering. I needed to find all of that and get it back.

Focusing back on myself meant following a couple of steps:

Drink more water: this is necessary for glowing skin and overall great health. This is the number one step in any good routine;

Focus on skincare: having a good base to lay makeup on is always a key factor;

Read more: this is a good life tip in general. You can never read too much and you can never be too educated, reading everyday, wether for recreational or educational reasons, should be a priority;

Go out: the worst thing that you can do is isolate yourself from the outside world and wallow is self pity. Going out forces you to wear makeup (if you want to), get pretty and be sociable, at least in my case, so it is the best thing you can do;

Be open: do not close your heart to other people just because of a bad experience, or because of a thousand ones. No matter what, the bravest thing to do is start clean and open, with no prejudice, but with the knowledge of the past.

I suppose this is all. I am obviously still working on all of this, but the important thing is starting. I hope you enjoyed this post and thank you for reading.

These last few months have been pretty intense and full of experiences. Plus, the rest of December and the beginning of 2017 are also going to be interesting.

So, first thing’s first : I passed my driving theory exam! I felt so relieved, since I have been stressing myself out ever since I started studying in July. Good things take time and I feel so happy. I have been practicing driving for the past month or so and I think I will take my exam in February. I am not bad at driving, but I can always get better and if I am to get a license, I want to be a really good driver, so that I can actually take on that responsibility.

Next up, I got accepted to participate in a diplomacy program put forward by the Italian Diplomatic Academy, which will culminate in a trip to New York to take part in a simulation of a meet at the United Nations headquarters. This will happen in March and I cannot wait. I went to the first three hour lesson last week and, despite it being gruelling, it is totally worth it. I think that this whole course and final experience will serve me as a lesson for my future.

Another thing I am very proud of is that I finally donated blood! I say finally because I tried to donate right after I turned 18 at the beginning of the year, but I was told that my blood pressure was too low. A week ago I tried again, since the guys who take care of these donations came to my school, and I succeeded! It took me 5 minutes and 32 seconds, which is very fast. They will analyse a part of the blood I donated to make sure that it is healthy and they will send me the data in a month. I really wanted to donate, since there is a high chance that my blood type is 0, which means that everyone can receive my blood. I also want to make this a habit, because I think that it is a moral duty and there are no consequences for you, besides being tired on donation day.

Probably the most exciting thing this month has to offer is that in precisely 10 days I am leaving, with my grandma, for vacation in Australia! My uncle lives there with his family, so we are going to stay about 2 weeks with them, to spend the winter holidays with this part of our family, at the beach. I am trying to prepare myself for the long trip, but it will be worth it 100%. I cannot wait; I have already started packing and shopping for the trip.

Thank you for sticking with me until now and get ready for travel posts.